{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T02:47:58Z","timestamp":1791946078980,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Wiley","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,16]],"date-time":"2022-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1663286400000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology","award":["CRG\/2021\/002419"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CRG\/2021\/002419"]}]},{"name":"Science and Engineering Research Board, Department of Science and Technology","award":["ECR\/2017\/000858"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ECR\/2017\/000858"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Immunology Research"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,16]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Vitiligo is a noncontagious autoimmune skin depigmenting disease. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in maintaining peripheral tolerance; however, Tregs\u2019 number, suppressive function, and associated suppressive molecules (FOXP3, IL-10, and TGF-\u03b2) are found to be reduced in vitiligo patients. Although, the role of Tregs in vitiligo pathogenesis is well established, there are several contrary findings which suggest a controversial role of Tregs in vitiligo. Therefore, to clarify the role of Tregs in vitiligo pathogenesis, we aimed to study Tregs\u2019 frequency, suppressive capacity, and associated suppressive molecules (FOXP3, IL-10, and TGF-\u03b2) in vitiligo patients through meta-analysis approach. A total of 30 studies involving 1223 vitiligo patients and 1109 controls were included in the study. Pooled results from our meta-analysis suggested significantly reduced Treg cells\u2019 frequency in vitiligo patients (<jats:inline-formula><a:math xmlns:a=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M1\"><a:mi>p<\/a:mi><a:mo>=<\/a:mo><a:mn>0.002<\/a:mn><\/a:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). Interestingly, Tregs\u2019 suppressive capacity was also significantly reduced in vitiligo patients (<jats:inline-formula><c:math xmlns:c=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M2\"><c:mi>p<\/c:mi><c:mo>=<\/c:mo><c:mn>0.0002<\/c:mn><\/c:math><\/jats:inline-formula>); specifically, Treg-mediated suppression of CD8+T cells was impaired in vitiligo patients (<jats:inline-formula><e:math xmlns:e=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M3\"><e:mi>p<\/e:mi><e:mo>&lt;<\/e:mo><e:mn>0.00001<\/e:mn><\/e:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). Moreover, FOXP3, a key Tregs\u2019 transcription factor, was significantly reduced in blood and skin of vitiligo patients (<jats:inline-formula><g:math xmlns:g=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M4\"><g:mi>p<\/g:mi><g:mo>&lt;<\/g:mo><g:mn>0.00001<\/g:mn><\/g:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). Intriguingly, the FOXP3 expression was significantly reduced in the lesional skin as compared to perilesional and nonlesional skin (<jats:inline-formula><i:math xmlns:i=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M5\"><i:mi>p<\/i:mi><i:mo>=<\/i:mo><i:mn>0.007<\/i:mn><\/i:math><\/jats:inline-formula>and<jats:inline-formula><k:math xmlns:k=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M6\"><k:mi>p<\/k:mi><k:mo>=<\/k:mo><k:mn>0.04<\/k:mn><\/k:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). Furthermore, the expression of key Treg-associated suppressive cytokines IL-10 and TGF-\u03b2 were significantly reduced in vitiligo patients (<jats:inline-formula><m:math xmlns:m=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M7\"><m:mi>p<\/m:mi><m:mo>=<\/m:mo><m:mn>0.0005<\/m:mn><\/m:math><\/jats:inline-formula>and<jats:inline-formula><o:math xmlns:o=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M8\"><o:mi>p<\/o:mi><o:mo>=<\/o:mo><o:mn>0.01<\/o:mn><\/o:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). The disease activity-based analysis suggested for reduced Tregs\u2019 frequency and FOXP3 expression in active vitiligo patients (<jats:inline-formula><q:math xmlns:q=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M9\"><q:mi>p<\/q:mi><q:mo>=<\/q:mo><q:mn>0.05<\/q:mn><\/q:math><\/jats:inline-formula>and<jats:inline-formula><s:math xmlns:s=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M10\"><s:mi>p<\/s:mi><s:mo>=<\/s:mo><s:mn>0.01<\/s:mn><\/s:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). We also studied the effect of microRNA-based treatment, narrow band\u2013UVB phototherapy, and Treg-associated treatments on Tregs\u2019 frequency, FOXP3, and IL-10 expression. Interestingly, we found increased Tregs\u2019 frequency, FOXP3, and IL-10 expression after the treatment (<jats:inline-formula><u:math xmlns:u=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M11\"><u:mi>p<\/u:mi><u:mo>=<\/u:mo><u:mn>0.007<\/u:mn><\/u:math><\/jats:inline-formula>,<jats:inline-formula><w:math xmlns:w=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M12\"><w:mi>p<\/w:mi><w:mo>&lt;<\/w:mo><w:mn>0.0001<\/w:mn><\/w:math><\/jats:inline-formula>, and<jats:inline-formula><y:math xmlns:y=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1998\/Math\/MathML\" id=\"M13\"><y:mi>p<\/y:mi><y:mo>=<\/y:mo><y:mn>0.002<\/y:mn><\/y:math><\/jats:inline-formula>). Overall, our meta-analysis suggests that the Tregs play a crucial role in pathogenesis and progression of vitiligo, and hence, Treg-based therapeutic interventions could be effective in vitiligo patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1155\/2022\/6952299","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,17]],"date-time":"2022-09-17T01:20:09Z","timestamp":1663377609000},"page":"1-16","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":43,"title":["Meta-Analysis of Alterations in Regulatory T Cells\u2019 Frequency and Suppressive Capacity in Patients with Vitiligo"],"prefix":"10.1155","volume":"2022","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8495-6346","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Prashant S.","family":"Giri","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"C. G. 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